The palace,still serves political functions. Heads of state are regaled in the Hall of Mirrors; the Sénat and the Assemblée nationale meet in congress in Versailles to revise or otherwise amend the French Constitution, a tradition that came into effect with the promulgation of the 1875 Constitution.

Evolving with the château, the gardens of Versailles represent one of the finest extant examples of Garden à la française in French Garden design.

 VODA worked with the very talented architect-in-training Kelly Garfield to craft an entry for the competition.  In the end, we didn’t win anything, but had a great time tackling challenging urban issues and creating some great ideas for the city we love:

Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have “changed the history of architecture”. It remained the world’s largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years thereafter, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and was the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site, the previous two having both been destroyed by rioters. It was designed by the Greek Scientists Isidore of Miletus, a physicist, and Anthemius of Tralles, a mathematician.

Detail of ancient Christian mosaic inside the Haga Sophia.

Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers 7,800,000 sq ft. The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere.

Aerial View, Forbidden City

Entrance to the Forbidden City

Tiananmen Gate to the Forbidden City, facing Tiananmen Square

Montjuïc is a hill located near the center of Barcelona, Spain.  It features a large number of attractions including the Spanish Village, the Magic Fountain and MNAC, one of the city’s most important museums.It is a broad shallow hill with a relatively flat top overlooking the harbor, to the southwest of the city center. The eastern side of the hill is almost a sheer cliff, giving it a commanding view over the city’s harbor immediately below. The top of the hill was the site of several fortifications, the latest of which, the Castle of Montjuïc remains today. It served as a prison, often holding political prisoners, until the time of General Franco. The castle was also the site of numerous executions.

Today the Montjuïc is a mostly recreational area with a large number of sights and attractions, most of them originating from two major events that took place here: the 1929 International Exhibition and the 1992 Olympics.

1992 Olympics Stadium, Monjuic, Barcelona

View from Montjuic to Plaza Espana.

National Museum of Catalunya

The Ringstrasse is a circular road surrounding the Innere Stadt district of Vienna, Austria and is one of its main sights. It is typical of the historical style called Ringstrasse Style of the 1860s to 1890s.

The street was built to replace the city walls, which had been built during the 13th century and funded by the ransom payment derived from the release of Richard I of England, and reinforced as a consequence of the First Turkish Siege in 1529.
In 1850, the Vorstädte (today the Districts II to IX) were incorporated into the municipality, which made the city walls a simple impediment to traffic. In 1857, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria issued the decree “It is My will” ordering the demolition of the city walls and moats. In his decree, he laid out the exact size of the boulevard, as well as the geographical positions and functions of the new buildings. The Ringstrasse and the planned buildings were intended to be a showcase for the grandeur and glory of the Habsburg Empire.

Since the Ringstrasse had always been meant primarily for show, a parallel road was built on the outside of the former glacis. This street is commonly known as 2-er Linie, named after the index “2″ in the identifiers of the tram lines which used it. It is still important for through traffic.

The Mall has been home to some of our nation’s most significant public gatherings and protests.  Presidential inaugurations and public festivals are held on the Mall, and many mass demonstrations have been held over the years to express support or opposition for various public policy issues.

Many monuments and museums have been added along and within the Mall since its conception, including monuments to Vietnam War Veterans, Korean War Veterans, World War II Veterans, and other important individuals.

After the 2001 terrorist attacks in Washington and New York, significant changes were made to the grounds surrounding the Capitol, the White House, and the Washington Monument to prevent any future attacks on these significant buildings.

In the year 1569, the Roman Emperor Maximilian II purchased a large floodplain of the Wien river beneath a hill, situated between Meidling and Hietzing, where a former owner, in 1548, had erected a mansion called Katterburg. The emperor ordered the area to be fenced and put game there in order to serve as the court’s recreational hunting ground. The name Schönbrunn (meaning “beautiful spring”), has its roots in an artesian from which water was consumed by the court. The sculpted garden space between the palace and the Sun Fountain is called the Great Parterre.